Film Referencing

Limitless

Limitless is a 2011 American thriller film directed by Neil Burger and starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, and Robert De Niro. It is based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn.

Film synopsisFacing unemployment and his girlfriend's rejection, writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is sure that he has no future. That all changes when an old friend gives him a drug that produces enhanced mental acuity. Stoked on the untested chemical, Eddie rises to the top of the financial world and attracts the attention of a tycoon (Robert De Niro) who intends to use him to make a fortune. But terrible side-effects and a dwindling supply threaten to collapse Eddie's house of cards.

Filmography (codes and conventions)

 The fact that this movie is based on pure fiction is shown through the conventions of the film poster.The poster uses the usual conventions of a film poster. The poster includes some special effects such as the haze of the city lights which are shown to convey a fast pace living relating to the city they are in (New York) and the protagonist’s lifestyle change.Editing is also used to create a conventional thriller through the increasing fast paced editing. The pacing in the movie is quite slow at first which supports the portrayal of the protagonists life that is going nowhere, however the pace does increase as the life of the protagonist is under attack, where the transition of each shot becomes more frequent. This adds to the sense of excitement and tension, which is a key characteristic of the thriller genre. Another thing to note is the use of a yellow filter when Eddie is on the pill while a grey filter is used when he is off the pill. This connotes the characters alertness and state of mind.Diegetic  sound is also used to create and emphasize the tension placed within the thriller genre such as loud car engines, the sounds of doors being kicked in and people being punched in the face.